by Ranganath Iyengar,
Senior Industry Advisor and Coach – Strategic Interventions
ranga@siiplconsulting.com

We naturally live in a 3 dimensional world – in fact if we use all our senses, we perceive people and objects in multiple dimensions that are visual, auditory and kinesthetic – visually our eyes naturally are more accustomed to 3D as that is how our brains interpret visuals.

Over the years, we have compromised by using media such as books, pictures, sound and television mostly as 2D media. If you grew up with photography as a hobby, you may remember a term called ‘depth of field’ which often referred to the ‘depth’ of the picture or a third dimension.

3D technology and our eyes
The distance between our eyes produces two slightly different images which is interpreted by our brain as distance and depth to create a three dimensional image. A simple way to understand 3D technology is to consider how 3D glasses work – broadly classified as active and passive which use either electronics to change the image or use simple linear or circular polarization to create the 3D effect.

In reality though, the eyes are naturally designed to interpret 3D images. Newer displays therefore, use autostereoscopic 3D displays that do not require glasses – technically the knowledge has been around for more than 60 years but is being adapted for consumers only over the recent decade although 3D movies first made their appearance in 1930s.

3D applications
Since we are intuitively tuned to 3D objects, 3D technology has got significant ramifications than just the novelty factor as it gives the viewer a sense of reality. Today, 3D applications are visible all around us – industrial and consumer applications in manufacturing, healthcare, education, media, cinema, television, books and phones etc. Let us look at the benefits of some of these.

Industrial applications
3D has revolutionized the way industries work – at the core is its impact on industrial design – while production still requires 2D drawings, 3D models often help designers visualize an entire product as well as test several parameters without actually producing the product as this can be achieved through simulations – good examples are military applications, aerospace, automobile designing,textile printing, walk through architectures, medical imaging, material stress analysis, color separation and alignment, printing etc.

Medical and nursing professionals today are trained using 3D models and interactive hardware and software. Architects and structural consultants use 3D to get an instructive and intuitive view of how buildings are made. Researchers use 3D in various fields ranging from history, art, science, defence and electronics to design, construct, re-construct, define or analyze data and large information sets. 3D Simulators are used by airlines, car companies, power stations and many other industries for training, safety, analysis, reconstruction of scenarios and many other applications and in these the mechanical movements mirror the actual scenario for the individual.

Consumer applications
3D has created fresh perspectives on consumer products such as phones, television and movies, office printing, projection systems, gaming, entertainment spaces, surround sound, shopping, sports etc. by bringing in visual appeal and making the experience more natural. Today, sports sequences are often analyzed using 3D and presented to the viewers as well as using by the teams to analyze competition.

Interactive Kiosks are very common applications of 3D whether we go to a bank, railway station and airport or use 3D maps while commuting. Several new mobile apps use 3D for the user interface. Since a lot of consumer interaction has shifted to the internet, a lot of product experiences are created around 3D for taking size measurements (shoes, suits and glasses) so people can get products rendered to their size and contour.

So what’s new in 3D?
You can try sites like Enjoy3d.com for varied retail shopping in a 3D environment, make your products come alive with 3D printing from Cycloid.in, take online medical courses in 3D on Imaios.com or perhaps try immersive and interactive Virtual Reality at Worldviz.com. To conclude 3D is a technology that has myriad possibilities and applications in our daily lives and can enrich our experience – for a technology that has starting firing the imagination of consumers over the last decade, the 3D experience is just beginning to evolve and truly come alive!